Healthy gums are the foundation for healthy teeth!

The gums are important not only for the health of the smile, but the aesthetics as well. Washington DC dentists, Dr. John and Dr. Jeremi Arroyo place significant emphasis on gum health and perform a thorough periodontal screening during all preventive dental care visits to look for the early signs of gum disease.

Preventing Gum Disease

Early detection is the key to preventing gum disease and the complex dental problems that can arise if it progresses. In addition to routine dental care, daily tooth brushing and flossing are key to reducing the amount of bacteria in the mouth which promote the development of gum disease.

There are two major stages of gum disease:

Gingivitis: the early stage of gum disease is called gingivitis and is often characterized by bleeding and irritated gums as harmful bacteria begin to damage the tissue and create pockets between the teeth and gum line.
Periodontitis: this is late stage gum disease and often when patients realize they have gum disease due to more obvious symptoms such as visibly receding gums and loose teeth.

Periodontal Therapy What to Expect

The treatment recommended by your dentist at District Dental Solutions will be dependent upon the stage and severity of your particular case.

Dr. John or Dr. Jeremi Arroyo will thoroughly assess your oral health and look for damage to the gum tissue or teeth to determine which treatment or procedure is best suited for restoring your oral health. Treatment options may include:

Scaling and root planing: this is an intensive cleaning of the gums and tooth roots to remove plaque from deeper pockets of the gums which is often effective for gingivitis.